I followed the brick path to the Uchiha compound. The place had been boarded up since the mascara 6 years ago.
Crouching low, I sprung myself off the ground, jumping over the walls that enclosed the compound, and landing swiftly on the other side. Nothing has changed. The sun that hung high above in the sky lit the street in shades of gold.
'Old man Jin's place.'
His store front was still locked up, but the skinny door that framed the front of the building sat just open enough that I half expected to see him pop his head out to greet me like he did every morning.
But even if the surroundings haven't changed - everything else had. There were no more kids running up and down the streets - laughing and giggling as they made their way to school. No more shop keepers bellowing to each other as they prepared for the days' shoppers.
They were no more.
All of it was nothing more than a fleeting memory.
I scanned up and down the eerie walkways. It was so quite - deafening.
The smell of blood still lingered in the air that surrounded the compound. The streets had been cleared off all the bodies, but the dark red splotches still sanctified the grounds.
I turned down the main street. At the end of the street to the left sat what used to be my home. My eyes wandered over the massive structure, 'nothings changed'. The door was still open, just as I had left it all those years ago. My fingers curled around the open frame as I walked over the threshold and wandered down the hall. My father's room door was still open. Walking past I peaked inside. The mats were still smeared red, and my heart clenched painfully. I pulled the door open and stepped into the cold room.
Leaning down, my knees dropped heavily against the cold, hard flooring.
Reaching down, my fingers traced the edges of stain.
My eyes wandered around the room, like every inch of the compound, this room was saturated with the smell of blood. But I could just barely make out the dark cinnamon flavor of my father's scent. Images of that night came flooding back. Flashes of metal sinking into flesh, the quivering stutter of a shocked heart, the gargled moans of a dying man, and the silent sobs of his heartbroken daughter.
Standing, I moved back into the hallway. Turning back, I caught a glimpse of my former self running her sai into the back of my father's prostrated form. My eyes quickly shut, 'Not again.'
My heart continued to constrict painfully against my ribs.
I missed my father.
My head lulled to the right, my eyes finding the door that sat at the end of the hall. My feet shuffled forward unconsciously moving me towards the decorated door. This was my room. Pushing the door aside I peered into the room. Stepping inside, I could feel the temperature of the room drop. A shiver raced down my spine. The room was small but just spacious enough.
A bed sat at the far side of the room, nestled under the wide window that took over the entirety of the far wall. To the right of the bed sat a small desk littered with old mementos. Walking over to the desk, my hand traced over the top side. There were a few reports left over on the table from when I was in the military police force. A few combat training manuals, leadership booklets, and some books on strategy building. A smile formed at the corners of my lips as I thought back to my time in the force. Before the massacre, I was considered a top-ranking ninja in the clan. I was also the youngest person to ever make captain in the Military Police Force.
A major accomplishment.
I can remember the day my father found out. He was ecstatic. I could almost hear all the praise he poured over me. On the other side of the desk sat a row of picture frames. The one on the far left was one of me, my father, and my mother when I was still a child. The one on the far right was one of my father and I when I had been made captain. My hand wandered over to the center frame. A smile tugged my lips into a wide grin. At the center was a picture of Itachi, Shisui, and I as kids standing at the training grounds. We had our arms draped around each other with goofy smiles on our faces.
'A time I would pay anything to go back to.'
Lost in my own thoughts I had forgotten I was supposed to be at the shrine. I reached for the pictures and slid each one of them out of their frames, placing them in my pocket. I turned on my heels and walked out of the room, down the hall, and out the front door.
Naka Shrine was on the other side of the Uchiha compound - on the outskirts, just outside of the watchful eyes of the village. Or so the Uchiha thought.
This place brought back the worst memories. It was the place Itachi had saved and abandoned me.
My heel kicked rhythmically against the cobble stone as I walked to the entrance of the shrine. Pulling the door open, I slipped into the dark room, shutting the door behind me as I walked further into the room, counting out the tatami mats.
"Under the 7th tatami mat is the clan's secret meeting place."
I lifted the 7th mat and walked down the stone steps. The room was inked with darkness. But I had been in this room many times before, and I knew it like the back of my hand. I walked to the right and left side of the stone table, I reached for the candles that always sat at the corner of the table. With a watered down fire jutsu, I lit the candles all at once.
Standing at the center of the room, I stared at the wall. The Uchiha emblem decorated the walls with vibrant colors of red and white. I remember being here after clan meetings with the other heads of the police force. I definitely didn't miss this place. My eyes swept from the right side of the room, up to the ceiling, and down to the left side.
You could almost feel the hate that consecrated this room.
Then... the soft pitter patter of footsteps ticked behind me. My head quickly snapped back, my body spinning around in a swift motion. A dark figure emerged from the other side of the room. The moment I saw the raven hair, my eyes rimmed with tears.
"Itachi."
My voice croaked. My body was trembling. I didn't realize how much I had yearned to be in his presence till this moment.
"Shiori."
The sound of my name parting from his lips broke something inside me.
Tears ran hot streaks down my cheeks, as a whimper fell from my lips. I dropped on my hands and knees, in prostration. My head falling in indignity. "I am so sorry, Ita..." My voice grated against my vocal cords. Almost instantly I could feel myself being pulled up from the ground. His arms wrapped tightly around my body, molding me to him. His embrace immediately soothed the chaos of emotions whirling through me, but the tears kept flowing. My arms locked around his waist and wound up his back holding on for dear life, my face buried into his chest. His fingers ran through my hair softly, rubbing against my scalp. Soft sobs continued to fall. I had never really cried before safe for what I was a baby, but I couldn't stop the tears from soaking Itachi's cloak. Minutes passed, and finally, the soft hiccups faded into silence. I didn't want to pull away from him. This felt like a dream, and if I pulled away, I'd wake up, and Itachi won't be there.
Unwillingly, I pulled away, but the grip he had on my body only tightened. With little effort, I finally managed to pull myself from his vice grip. Raising my face to his, I was surprised at what I found. Itachi's face stained with silent tears. My hands flew to his face, whipping the tears away as we stared into each others eyes in muteness.
'He's been alone and hurting for far too long'.
Looking into his eyes, I could feel my heart flutter. My fingers moving softly against his cheeks.
A smile curled at the corners of my lips as I traced ran the lines in his face. "These chaos lines are getting worse." I whispered, brushing my fingers down his cheek, feathering against his jaw. He gave no response, but tightened his arms tightened his hold on me. My hands slipped from his face, around his neck, and entangled in his hair. Slowly, I pulled his head down so that his forehead pressed against mine.
"I missed you." The sound of his voice lit my heart with joy.
I didn't trust myself not to choke on the words, but the whispered response came, "I missed you too."
My eyes slid shut. I wanted this moment to last forever. I could feel my heart pounding. Happiness filled the empty spaces in my chest, but the sadness of our situation still lingered. "Why did you leave me?"
I never had the intention of ever asking, but the question forced its way to the surface of my thoughts.
"That night was never your burden to bare." I could hear the affliction in his voice. He made the most difficult decision anyone could ever be faced with... and he was just a child.
"You didn't have to protect me. You should have ended my life." I could feel a lump form in the back of my throat. His hand cupped the sides of my face.
"I couldn't bring myself to take your life." His voice was soft, and his eyes regarded me with so much sorrow. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes again.
"I felt so guilty." The lump grew and the tears began to slide down my cheeks. "I hated myself for being able to live a normal life when you sacrificed yours. I've lost nothing compared to you."
My body was shaking. His arms wound me tighter to him. "Ita... Life without you has been unbearable."
"Shiori."
I couldn't respond. All I could do was nod my head as an indication that I was listening. "Look at me." I lifted my head from his chest.
"Remember the day I left? And what I said to you?"
For a moment I had to think back. Up until today, I had tried with every fiber of my being to forget that night. The scene outside the shrine replayed itself. I vaguely remember Itachi whispering something to me, but I couldn't quite recall what. I shook my head, "I don't." I replied honestly after a moment of silence.
Itachi's hand tucked under my chin, gently pulling my face to his, "I love you."
A small smile crossed my face, my hand holding onto his. "It's cruel to tell me you love me when you're going to leave me again." But despite my attempt at a playful quip, his expression was serious. "I meant it then, and I mean it now."
I tucked my head under his chin and wrapped my arms around his waist. I fitted myself into his chest, pressing myself deeper into him.
"I love you too."
With my ear pressed against his chest, I could hear his heartbeat. But something was wrong.
I reached up and placed my hands palms down against his back. Glowing with a whiteish green hue, my hands moved from the latissimus dorsi to the trapezius muscles in his back. I could sense the irregularities in his breathing and heartbeat. My right hand moved to the front of his chest, pressing into his right side.
'Why didn't I notice before?'
"Itachi, there's something wrong."
I could feel himself push away from me. His hands pulling at both of mine clutching them away from his body. His face was emotionless, nothing to indicate he was shocked at my findings, but I could tell that he wasn't expecting the statement.
"It's nothing."
"Something is wrong with your health, isn't there?"
I didn't have to ask him.
I knew.
His eyes moved from mine. My hand reached for his face, forcing him to look me in the eyes. "Why didn't you come to me?"
"I can handle it."
My hands yanked away from his, moving back to his chest. Laying my right hand over his heart, and left hand lay against his right side. "I can't do much for you, Ita... but I can help with this. So please let me."
Our eyes met, and his head nodded. My fingers quickly moved to the fabric of his cloak pushing it away from his body. The surprisingly soft garment fell, pooling around his feet. A soft chuckle escaped my lips, 'some things never do change'. My hands wandered over his body. He dressed the same as when he was in the village. But he was taller now, his shoulders were broader, the features on his face more sculpted, and his hair dangled just a bit lower behind his back.
My fingers twitched.
I don't know what came over me, but without a second thought, my hands traced against his arms, up his biceps around his shoulders and down his chest. I could feel a tremble rack over his body. My hands gild over the entirety of his chest. I could feel the sculpted muscles underneath his chest flex under my touch. I had been so overwhelmed with the emotions I had hid for years that I didn't notice. I could feel the heat rise in my face. The boy I fell in love with all those years ago wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man . My head dropped, bangs covering my tomato red face.
I felt embarrassed that I was feeling embarrassed.
I gnawed on the inside of my cheeks. My fingers curling around the fabric of his shirt. 'Get a hold of yourself!' I took a sharp breath, releasing his shirt and smoothing out the fabric.
I placed my hands flat against his strong chest. Summoning a steady stream of chakra to my hands, they engulfed in green and whiteish hue. With sharp precision, I narrowed the flow of chakra into the tips of my fingers. I was trying to target specific areas of his respiratory and circulatory system.
"Do you know what's wrong?"
He didn't respond, and I didn't know whether I wanted to press him on the issue. I sighed, pressing my fingers deep into his chest. A soft grunt escaped his lips. He immediately sucked in his bottom lip, trying to stifle the sounds of pain threatening to erupt from his throat. This procedure was a painful one. The invasion of another's chakra in the internal organs of another gave people an almost repugnant reaction to the treatment.
I closed my eyes and visualized the threads of chakra permeating through the muscles of his chest. I couldn't exactly tell what the illness was, but from the amount of damage it had inflicted on his lungs and the tissue cells of his heart, it was still in its earlier stages. I wouldn't be able to do much without an actual diagnosis. And I won't be able to get a diagnosis without a battery of tests. A blind treatment was all I could do at the moment.
My eyes wandered shamelessly over his body, but I kept my gaze away from his. But he was watching me, I could feel his eyes trace over every inch of my body. His eyes traced a searing path down my face and over my body noting each and every movement I made.
Heat swelled in my chest at the thought of him following my movements. A prickling sensation teased at the back of my neck. Standing there under his gaze I was loosing myself.
'Pay attention.'
Itachi winced softly and shifted against my hands. I knew it hurt, but it couldn't be helped. I pulled my right hand from his chest, placing it across his face.
"What---."
"Shhhhh."
I continued the flow of chakra into my palm as I pressed it against his forehead. Itachi leaned into my touch. 'The sharingan has been doing serious damage to his eye sight too.'
My heart constricted. 'He's been destroying his body.'
"You need to take care of yourself, Ita..." My tongue felt heavy in my mouth. The lump that had disappeared returned, lodging itself in the back of my throat, stifling anything else I attempted to say. My hand fisted in the material of his shirt as I moved to press my forehead against his chest.
"Please.... I can't lose you again."
"You won't lose me."
He had a familiar smile on his face.
I knew he wasn't being truthful.